TRANSPORT chiefs in Yorkshire are urging MPs of all parties to back calls for a direct high-speed rail link to Yorkshire.

Bus and rail bodies Metro, covering West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive are set to lobby delegates to the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative conferences in a bid to win support.

Independent research suggests that a “Y-shaped” network travelling from London to Birmingham and splitting with one “arm” going to Yorkshire could provide £1.5bn to £3bn of productivity benefits to the regional economy as well as transport benefits of about £29bn.

It argues that linking the Leeds City Region – which includes Kirklees – with the Sheffield City Region and the three centres of Derby, Nottingham and Leicester as part of a national high speed rail network would connect an area of 6.7m people and 3m jobs.

Onward connections to the Tees Valley and Tyne and Wear City Regions would provide access to a further 2.2m people and 900,000 jobs.

The call by Metro and SYPTE echoes demands from the Huddersfield-based Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce for a “Y-shaped” network rather than a high-speed rail route running to Manchester before linking into Leeds.

The last Labour Government recommended in March a “Y-shaped” network.

However, in June the government asked for an alternative “Reverse S” shaped route to be considered – providing access to Leeds by a less direct route via Manchester, but excluding the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.

“High speed rail has the potential to transform the shape of the national economy,” said Metro chairman Clr Chris Greaves. “To do so it must access the areas with the most significant centres of population and employment.

“We also agree that high-speed rail should serve city centre stations – this will maximise the economic benefits due to the proximity of high value jobs.

“City centres are already public transport hubs and therefore would help spread the benefits of high speed rail more widely across the city regions.

“They would also act as a focus for regeneration and development.

Metro said the latest research also highlighted the need to make improvements to existing rail routes in the short-medium term.

It said: “Delivery of high speed rail to the north will be a long-term project, but existing proposals to upgrade and electrify the Midland Main Line, East Coast Main Line, trans-Pennine and Leeds-Sheffield links can deliver substantial benefits, in some cases at modest costs.